Detachable feeding table for machines



Aug. 30, 1927.

W. C. FELLOWS DETACHABLE FEEDING TABLE FOR MACHINES 9 In van/or M/fei- 6,- Fl /0m)",

Filed June 18. 1926 Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNEED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER C. FELLORVS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO C. R. CARVER GOTYIPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DETACHABLE FEEDING TABLE FOR MACHINES.

[application filed .Tune'18, 1826. Serial No.116,816,

The object of my invention is to provide an adjustable work holding or feeding table, more particularly adapted for use with printing presses whereby the same may be readily detached and removed when for any reason access to the working parts of the press becomes necessary, and my improvements reside more particularly in the. means employed for locking the removable table in operative position.

In the practical application of my im-- provements in the preferred form, the press or machine is provided with two bracket devices spaced apart and each supporting a fixed table, said tables separated a suitable distance apart to permit ready access to the working parts of the machine, said space between the fixed tables being occu pied by a removable table supported and positioned upon the brackets and detachably locked in such position by suitable locking means of specific form and constituting the essential part of my improvements.

My improved locking means comprises a vertical shaft ournaled in the bracket and carrying at its upper enda lateral locking arm or heel extension, said shaft and arm movable downwardly under the influence of a spring, and said shaft having a lateral handle or lever portion by which it may be rocked whereby the lateral arm is adapted to yieldingly engage a keeper portion se-- cured to the detachable table and thereby lock it in position.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with the features above enumerated are more fully described hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan View 'of a table structure embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the sameon line2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse'sec-tion on line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 'is' a perspective view of a portion of the locking mechanism.

The printing press or machine proper is indicated in dotted lines at 2 and may be of any suitable construction. 3, 3, are two fixed tables arranged respectively at opposite sides of the machine leaving a gap or space a between them and by which access may be hadjto the printing press or other machine. 5 are brackets bolted at 6 to the main frame of themachine and each presenting at the top two arms 7 and 8 respectively arranged at an angle to each other, the arms 8 being horizontal and projecting directly forward from the front of the machine, whereas the arms 7 project horizontallyin a diagonal direction under an intermediate table board removably se cured in position between the two tables 3, This table board 10 on its underside and adjacent to the right and left hand edges is provided with metal straps 11 which are secured in position by screws.

The forwardly projecting portions 8 of the brackets 5 are made of a width sufficient to receive the strap portions 11 of the re movable table board 10 and thereby sustain it against downwarddisplacement, as will be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 2. The table adjacent to its sides provided with pins 12 extending clownwardly from the straps 11 and are received in holes 13 formed in the projecting portions 8 of the brackets 5, said pins definite ly positioning the table upon its support so that it cannot be shifted forward or backward unless lifted so as to disengage the pins from the holes.

Each of the brackets 5'2L12 provided with locking means, shown in detail in Fig. 2, for locking the table board 10 in position 'upon said brackets and ii'itermediate the fixed table portions 3, 3. As shown, the under adjacent edges of the table portions 3, 3, are provided with spacing straps 23 screwed in position and directly resting upon, the forward projecting portions 8 of the brackets, whereby the uppersurfaces of the table portions 3, 3yand the intermediate table board '10 are in proper alinement. The locking means for each of the brackets comprises a vertical shaft 14: journaled in a vertical bearing 17 in the bracket arm 8 and the upper portion of said shaft is pro vided with a head having a lateral lock ing arm 16 formed on its under part with a beveled engaging surface 21 which, in looking position, extends over the edge of the strap 11 secured to the underside of the table board 10, (Fig. 2). The head 15 forms an annular collar portion which limits the downward movement ofthe shaft fat, so that the locking arm 16, when out of looking engagement, is sustained in such a manner that it may be readily moved over the rounded or beveled edge 22 of the strap 11. At the lower end of the shaft 1a is a collar 18 and which is secured to the shaft by a pin 19 driven through the collar and shaft and extending laterally to constitute a hen dle or lever portion for rocking the shaft. Surrounding the shaft 1 and interposed between the collar 18 and the under portion of the part 8 of the bracket is a coil spring 20 the function of which is to firmly act upon the shaft to depress it and in that man ner yieldingly force the locking arm 16 down upon the locking belt 11 of the removable table board 10. The strap 23 is suitably notched to provide a space 24- (Fig. 3) in which to position the head 15, and the under portion of the table part 3 is recessed as at 26 to provide a space in which the looking arm 16 of the shaft 1 1 may freely swing. Similarly, the under portion of the table board 10 is recessed as at 25 to permit movement of the end of the locking arm 16 and its engagement with the upper portion of the keeper or strap 11, all of which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

From this explanation, it will be seen that the locking arm swings from above the strap 23 of the table portion 3 tothe position above the strap 11 of the table board 10, with just enough spring action to maintain a yielding contact in its swinging motion and with force sufficient to hold the table board 10 firmly in position upon the bracket. The

recess or pocket 26 in the table portion 3 is so shaped that the locking arm 16 can freely swing in one direction into and out of locking position, but cannot swing in the other direction, so that the shaft 14: rotating through an arc of ninety degrees will properly operate the locking arm 16 to bring it into either looking or unlocking posit-ion.

From Fig. 1 it will be seen that the levers or arms 19 of the two locks are directed toward each other when the locks are in locking positions and are, therefore, in position to be readily grasped by the operatorand moved out of locking position with the levers or handles directed forward, said operation being capable of being readily performed without having to see the loclrs or the operating handles thereof.

The action of the spring 20, in addition to applying pressure to hold the table board 10 firmly in position and prevent all rattling, also performs the function of bold ing the locking devices in any positions of adjustment to which they may be moved. Consequently, when the locklng devices are turned into unlocking positions for the purstruct the operator in manipulation of the machine after the table board has been removed. a

From the foregoing, it will be seen that my improved lockino means is self-adjusting and self-aligning, retains its'positions for all adjustments, prevents rattling of parts, and compensates for wear, and its simplicity insures a long operative lifewithout danger of getting out of order.

As shown in Fig. 1, the table board 10 is made U shaped so as to fit around the front and sides of the plunger of the press, but I do not restrict myself in this respect. The three table parts 3, 10, 3 constitute, in effect, one continuous table when in use, but permits the intermediate part '10 to be readily disengaged from the permanently fixed parts 3, 3. It is manifest, however, that the part. 10 may be used alone in association with the brackets, and if desired, may be extended laterally to any degree such as would be understood if the parts 3 were integral with the part 10 and merely rested upon the arms 7 of the brackets 5 by omitting the screws ,9, so that all of the said parts 3, 10, 3, would be removable as a unit. In other words, I do not restrict myself to the shape or size of the table board 10.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirab1e, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which hasbeen found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that I do not restrict myself tothe details, as the same are susceptible ofmodification in various particulars ,without' departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a machine, of a feed table comprising brackets spaced apart, a detachable table board supported on both of the brackets, means for definitelypositioningthe table board upon the brackets,

and separate locking devices secured to each of the brackets and adapt-ed to engage the opposite side portions of thetable board and clamp it down firmly uponthe brackets and thereby prevent its rising and disengage portions, and spring devices for yieldingly clamping the locking arms upon the table board,

4. The invent-ion according to claim 1 wherein further, the locking devices each comprise a vertical shaft having a lateral locking arm at its top and a lateral lever handle at the bottom and said shaft journaled in one of the brackets whereby the looking arm swings in a substantially horizontal plane, and a coil spring surrounding the shaft and having one end sustained by the bracket and the other end acting upon the.

shaft to yieldingly force it downward whereby the clamping action is compensating and the locking means retains itself in any open or closed position in which it is placed.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further, the means for definitely positioning the table board upon the brackets comprise a vertical hole in each of the brackets and downwardly extending pins from the table board near its lateraledges and respectively engaging the holes in the brackets.

6. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further, the locking {means comprises rotary shaft members having engaging parts for locking the table member to the brackets, and a covering over the engaging parts to shield them from above.

7. The invention according to claim 1,

wherein further, there is provided on each side of the detachable. table board a closely associated fixed table secured to, the respective brackets, said tables and table board having recessed under ortions providing chambers covering the ocking means and also providing spaces in which the engagmg parts of the locking means are 'free'to operate. o 7

8. The combination with a machine, of a feed table comprising brackets extending from the machine and spaced apart, a de tachabletable supported uponthe brackets, and separate locking devices for detachably connecting the table'to the brackets having manually operable parts arranged under the table and accessible fromthe front thereof.-

9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein further, the locking devices each comprise a rotary locking means having a handle-portion and the handle portions di rected toward each other when in looking positions and whereby both are caused to be given 'an initial movement in the same direction when unlocking the table.v

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set myhand. V

WALTER O. FELLOWS. 

